I marked out where I wanted the cuts/holes to be, then cut close to this line, then filed the bodywork to the marked line, maybe not the quickest method but I found it easy to make a neat job this way.
Need to cut my nosecone and bonnet, it's new bodywork so don't want to make a mess
What's best to use to cut odd shapes out, have a dremel for getting the edges nice but the main cutting the I was thinking off
Thanks
I used to use a jigsaw with a metal (fine tooth) saw. Works nicely as long as you go slowly.
Draw the pattern on the item and get a 3mm drillbit, Drill the pattern out and them finish off with the dremel. Make sure you mask the area first. I use a variable speed drill so i can control speed. I have cracked gelcoats with fixed speed drills
Black and Decker Powerfile, best piece of kit great for radiused corners / tight spots / making holes taking off small amounts etc and belts last for
ages. Shop around though and you might find a good deal.
[Edited on 9/4/12 by Mr C]
I use a jig saw fitted with a GRP cutting blade, (sort covered in grit), these last much longer, rather than a saw blade. Also remember to cover where you are going to be cutting with a really good layer of masking tape, jig saws will bugger up nice shiney surfaces just from the base plate. HTH Ray
I used these tools to cut my GRP bodywork
I marked out where I wanted the cuts/holes to be, then cut close to this line, then filed the bodywork to the marked line, maybe not the quickest
method but I found it easy to make a neat job this way.
4inch angle grinder with a 1mm cutting disk is my weapon of choice
I use the angle grinder too. Deadly dust though, so cover up.
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
I used to use a jigsaw with a metal (fine tooth) saw. Works nicely as long as you go slowly.
Hi
As you have a Dremel.
Use the small pointed bit, you can drill with it & cuts beautifully all sorts of intricate shapes
and is very controllable, try it on a gash bit.
This is what we used & it worked well.
I trimmed my skuttle with a dremmel, but I'm yet to do some proper cuts, but I always thought that this looked like a great tool for the job:
http://www.jmldirect.com/uk/exakt-diy/exakt-saw/invt/e08sa40100000001/
I have done all my cutting on the bodywork using a dremmel style tool using the fibre cutting disk. For circles chain drill and dress with a sanding 'drum'.
chain drill, hack saw and file(s) with lots of masking tape and care did it for me.
Wear a mask as the dust is not pleasant. After a while I started using a garden sprayer to mist some water over the cutting area every so often to
keep the dust down. Then just rinse and polish when you're finished.
If you have a compressor, an air hacksaw is very handy. cut down a hacksaw blade so it leaves approx 3" long usable blade, also, grind away a lot
of the back edge so it can cut tighter radiuses. this works really well on GRP and you have less risk ofscratching the surface than using a jigsaw,
and you also get a lot better visibility of the cut line. makes your fingers tingle though!
I use the angry grinder... as said, use a mask or you'll be blowing (insert GRP colour here) bogies for days to come!